Mario Kart 8
Summary Mario Kart 8 is the latest in the famous series of Mario racing games which has some new features. Story Everybody's Favorite Plumber and his friends once again jump into the seats of their go-karts and race to see who can come out on top of the Mario Kart circuit. Game Modes Single Modes Grand Prix: Play the cup races and finish in first to win the gold cup. Time Trials: Test your skills or enjoy the track on your own terms in this mode. VS. Mode: Race on a system of tracks by using your own set of rules in this mode. Battle Mode: Battle it out with other characters as you pummel your opponents in this mode. Multiplayer Mode Play with a friend in the many game modes in this mode. Single Online Mode Play the modes and then show it to other Wii U users on the Nintendo Network in this mode. Multiplayer Online Mode Play against either your friends online or other Wii u users in this mode. Johnny's Review General Thoughts Now, if you already read my blog, I have played the demo version of this game at Gamestop a few weeks ago. I've been waiting for almost that long to actually get the game from Gamefly as this is a popular game (obviously). Now, I have played the actual game. How do I think if it? Well, read my review and find out. Graphics The graphics in this game are what you would expect from a Mario game. They're of a cartoon feel and the characters have the feeling as well. Though, there are some new effects, like when the characters get out of the water they appear wet for a while (as you can see the sun reflecting off of their wet clothes or wet hair), the lighting effects in the game are also good, the tracks that take place during the day are just as good looking when you are looking a neon lights on a track taking place at night. Grade: A+ Music The soundtrack in the game is very versatile as the new tracks in the game have their very own music track. Though some of them sound the same but it's only in minor cases. The older tracks (from previous Mario Kart games) have a remixed version of their own music track which adds to the spice to the already great soundtrack. If you leave the game on the title screen for a while you can also hear a remixed version of the title screen music track to Super Mario Kart which is also another great addition to the soundtrack to the game. Grade: A Sounds/Voice The game has quite a few new sound effects while also with quite a few re-used sounds. But most of the sounds are new, which is a good thing because when it comes to the Mario Kart series, the sounds were getting long in the tooth. As for voices, all of the original voices of the characters have returned, and they even bring a new system of quotes instead of using the same quotes over and over again. Though the quote set for the Miis are the same as in Mario Kart Wii but the voice set is new. Grade: A Gameplay/Controls The gameplay is just about the same as it is in previous Mario Kart games with a few new features. The first (and probably the most distinctive) feature is that the Go-Karts in this game don't just drive along the ground, they can also glide on walls and ceilings. The tracks in this game also have twists in it, and there are tracks where you go straight up or down either a waterfall or a cliffside. Though at times this isn't immediately evident. But to make it so, you can view it on the replay (though you only watch it in highlights). Apart from the occasional Zero-G racing of the game, the AI (artificial intelligence) in the game is a bit more challenging in this game than it was in previous installments, even of you play on 50 CC engine class, your opponent racers can prove to be quite aggressive as they can aim even the greens shells accurately. Of course, if this is too tough for you, you can play the VS Mode and turn off the items, even so, the AI in this game is quite difficult, if you don't like this kind of challenge, than it's strongly recommended you don't play the game on 100 CC or 150 CC engine classes. The controls of the game also changed little from previous Mario Kart games. though what you can do (either in the options menu or during gameplay) change the control style on how you turn your Go-Kart either with the control stick or use the Wii U Game Pad by tilting it side-to-side to turn the go-kart. Grade: B- Replay Value As in previous Mario Kart games, there are a lot to unlock. But unlike in the modern gaming world where you must wait (and pay) for DLC, you must unlock extra features the old fashioned way, meaning playing the game under certain conditions in order to unlock it. By winning 1st place in every cup race, you can unlock the Miis, you can also unlock other other characters such as Bowser's (almost lost and forgotten) Koolpings (e.g., Larry, Morton Jr. Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig Von) as well as the Baby versions of the characters and even Rosalina and some minor enemies (e.g., Koopa Troopa, Lakitu). You can even unlock new go-kart (and even motorcycle) frames and even tires and gliders (just like you can in Mario Kart 7) as you collect coins to do so. Grade: A- Final Thoughts Though, most of the gameplay hasn't changed much from the previous Mario Kart games, but is still nevertheless an enjoyable game, even if you take the time to unlock all of the characters and kart parts. Then it becomes a very good game. Overall grade: A-